Google hosting regional-language app development workshop in Bangalore

Google on Wednesday said it will host a two-day workshop in Bangalore later this week, focused on designing and creating Android applications in Indian languages.

Nearly 100 developers are scheduled to participate in the Google app development event to be held February 21-22. Participation is open to both amateur and professional developers.

"It aims to promote regional languages and develop applications for Internet users who communicate and understand only their native language with a view to encouraging more users to come online," Google said.

"The next 300 million Internet users in India won't use English. That's why we're working on enabling the Internet in Indian languages, which is the key to driving growth," said Google managing director Rajan Anandan said in the statement.

"We are seeing great interest from users in small towns across India, because people are becoming aware of the value of the Internet even in small towns and villages," he said.

The event called Hackathon will help organisations prepare for the coming growth in the Indian language Internet, he added.

At the event, Google will host workshops covering the technical process of enabling apps in Indian languages and monetisation potential of language apps.

The sessions will also cover business aspects of enabling existing Android applications in multiple languages and how that can further the reach and monetisation potential of the apps for the developers.

"The objective of the sessions is to enable better understanding of the growing Internet user base in India and the opportunity it represents for the developers and help them to build valuable skills," the company statement said.